In addition to the award from NASA, the North Dakota State Legislature matched funding to the project.

These funds will be used for NASA relevant seed research and travel support to researchers to visit NASA centers for developing collaborative research. The award will also be used to fund graduate research assistantships through the seed research grants to faculty.

Santhosh Seelan, professor and chair of Space Studies, also is the director of ND NASA EPSCoR, and the principle investigator of the RID award.

In addition to the award from NASA, the State Legislature matched funding to the project.

ND NASA EPSCoR is a statewide program established in 1979 that expands and enhances the research capabilities of scientists in states that traditionally have lacked strong university-based research efforts, to compete more successfully for federal academic funding.